Avatar Book IV: Air
by FantasyFoSho
Summary: My first Avatar fanfic, this story encompasses the events after the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai. I hope you guys like it and don't forget to R&R! :
1. Chapter 1: A New Peace

AVATAR BOOK IV: AIR

Chapter 1: A New Peace

_After the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai at the hands of Aang, the Avatar, the signs of a bright new world and an era of peace were ever-present. A week after Aang's victory, Team Avatar and people from all of the three surviving Nations gathered in front of the Fire Nation Royal Palace to witness the coronation of the new ruler of the Fire Nation: Zuko. With hundreds of people watching, the Fire Sages placed upon Zuko's head, the Royal Fire Lord Head Piece and declared him the new ruler of the land. As is customary, Fire Lord Zuko delivered a speech to the people, giving the credit of Ozai's defeat to Aang, the Avatar._

"With the help of the Avatar," said Zuko, preparing to end his 'longer-than-it-should-have-been' speech, "We shall rebuild this world together, and usher in a new era of peace, and love!"

The gathered crowd of the Three Nations clapped and applauded, cheering viciously. The many benders that came to witness Zuko's coronation displayed a wide array of moves; with firebenders creating fireworks, water benders creating tall, sparkling fountains, and earthbenders joining together to erect a large granite monument in the new Fire Lord's honor.

Standing at the head of the Royal Palace's coronation stage were Aang and Zuko, the Avatar and the Fire Lord, bearing great smiles. Facing each other, they bowed traditionally before embracing each other like brothers. It was just a year ago when they were enemies. Now however, they were close friends.

Aang, a fully realized Avatar, left Zuko in order to search for his friends in the crowded plaza below, grinning from cheek to cheek. He did not think it would be possible but he had done it! He saved the world!

However, what pleased him more was the sight of people from different parts of the world, conversing with each other, seemingly forgetting their differences.

This marked the first time in over one hundred years, where people from all three surviving Nations were gathered together in the name of peace. Also impressive was that they were gathered in the Fire Nation Capital, the place where the idea of the Great War was first conceived in the mind of Fire Lord Sozin.

Earth Benders, Water Benders, and even the Fire Benders spoke amongst each other like friends who haven't seen each other for a long time. By the look of some of them, Aang would say that they were.

He knew that there were still tensions between the three Nations but he pushed those thoughts away, for now.

Passing over a group of celebrating Earth Benders (Wherein Aang's friend Haru danced a funny jig native to his village) he saw, to his delight, a tuft of white fur flitting about behind several members of the Swamp Tribe, who looked completely out of place with their ridiculous swamp gear.

"Momo!" Aang cried, excitedly.

Jumping down from the platform, he ran with inhuman speed towards the Swamp Bender crowd, ducking past the celebrating peoples, uttering a quick "Sorry!" whenever he bumped into someone.

In no time at all, he came across a clearing, containing his friends, the members of Team Avatar. In the center of it laid Appa, Aang's Flying Bison, his large brown underbelly exposed to the afternoon sun. Circling above him was his companion, Momo the winged lemur. Along with Appa and Aang, the three of them were the last of their kind.

The rest of Team Avatar was located in close proximity to the two animals:  
Toph, conversing with The Boulder; Katara, standing next to Toph, listening intently to their discussion; Suki, back in her Kyoshi uniform mingling with the other Warriors including their newest recruit, Ty Lee; and Sokka, in crutches, gaping lovingly at his girlfriend, before snapping back into reality as soon as Aang approached.

"Aang, buddy!" said Sokka, limping forward to place an arm around his shoulder.

"That was some speech huh?" he said with a smile, referring to Zuko's hour-long harangue about improving their war-torn world; which, Aang admitted, was indeed very long and slightly monotonous, perhaps because the newly appointed Fire Lord was unskilled with speeches. This was evidenced by the fact that he often stumbled upon his own sentences and occasionally dragged on with a point that had long been taken by the crowd.

Almost immediately after he had begun, the audience became lost in his string of broken and misplaced words and sentences.

Therefore, it was fortunate that, while Zuko stood pondering what he was to say next in the midst of a thirty second silence, a wise Fire Sage interjected and summarised Team Avatar's entire struggle against the then-Fire Lord Ozai along with Zuko's contributions to the team and his daring battle with Azula in a fierce, comet-enhanced Agni Kai.

When Zuko again spoke, he spoke more steadily and by the time he was finished, the crowded plaza was exploding with cheers and tumultuous applause.

"Yeah," said Aang shakily. "It was something else."

Sokka threw up his arms in a sarcastic and dramatic fashion.

"I know right?" he said with a laugh. "It was like he'd never spoken in front of a crowd before!"

He then proceeded to mimic Zuko by placing a hand over his right-eye, speaking in a largely inaccurate tone which Aang guessed was supposed to resemble Zuko's voice.

"Hi guys, I'm Firelord Zuko! And I-" Sokka stopped, frozen. The real Zuko had entered the clearing.

"You're right," he said in his usual rugged tone, causing Sokka's face to turn red at the realisation of his terrible character impression skills. "I've never spoken to a crowd before." Zuko continued. "At least, not a crowd as large as the one gathered here."

With his face still crimson-red, Sokka waved shakily. In a small voice, he said "Z-Zuko! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't expect to see you here…"

"I just gave a speech, you moron!" Zuko snapped. "Weren't you making fun of me just now?"

Sokka's jaw dropped. If his face had gone any redder it would have spontaneously combust.

"Oh right…" he said, trailing off. "You need to improve your public speaking skills."

"I know that!" Zuko retorted, angrily. "Well, _you _need to improve _your_ impersonation skills!"

"_What!?"_ shouted Sokka, shrilly. "My impersonation skills are as good as they can be!"

"Is that so?" Zuko jeered, taunting him. "Because if it is, then why did you put my scar on the wrong side of my _face?"_

Sokka choked, unsure of what to say for a few seconds before launching into another verbal attack about Zuko's speeches.

"Oh, Aang!" called a familiar, soothing voice. Aang turned and glimpsed Katara waving towards him, he blushed slightly. "I didn't notice you were there!"

Aang scratched his head nervously. "It's okay Katara, I just came looking for you guys, and ran into Sokka here." At that, he motioned towards Sokka, who was still in a heated discussion with Zuko about his "pathetic speaking skills".

"Pathetic!?" said Zuko. "You're one to talk, Mr. Invasion Plan!"

Sokka's face went from bright red to violet. "How do you know about that?" he said, flushing.

"I have my sources." Zuko replied nimbly, before turning away. Sokka's eye began to twitch. He was about to stomp towards Zuko when Katara interrupted.

"That's enough Sokka!" she said.

Sokka turned away defiantly. "He started it."

…

Zuko stalked away with his line of guards, noblemen and Fire Sages and walked back onto the stage.

"Listen up everybody!" he shouted, quieting the corwd. "To commemorate this special day, I am holding a feast, in honour of a New Era of Peace!" The people cheered. Members of the Gaang pumped their fists.

"Are we eating the bison?" shouted a plump Fire Nation noble amidst the cheers. The crowd's laughter ceased.

"What?" he asked dumbly, only to be blown away by a blast of air from an annoyed Aang.

Sokka jumped in front of the man. "He's not just a bison!" he corrected him. "He's a _flying_ bison, you idiot!"

The people gathered around them laughed. The poor, bison-eating noble slinked away, embarrassed.

"Anyways," said Zuko distractedly. "Because our cooks require time to prepare, I want everyone to return here in two hours to be admitted into the Great Dining Hall." With that, he walked away into the palace.


	2. Chapter 2: Getting Comfortable

**Hey, for the sake of getting a bit farther into the story, I'm putting in this quick chapter. It's a lot shorter than most of the chapters I'm going to write, but that's because not much goes on. Remember to R&R!**

**Chapter II: Getting Comfortable**

After Zuko's announcement, the "Gaang" decided to take a small tour around the Fire Nation capital. However, there wasn't much to do as most shop owners closed up early to join in the festivities. So, to kill time, the Gaang ceased their seemingly endless march and took up residence at a nearby Fire Nation Motel, for a cheap bargain price of five silver pieces a night.

"Can you believe our luck?" remarked Sokka, holding up the key to the motel room. "Only five silver pieces! Now _that's _what I call a bargain."

Katara however, wasn't as easily convinced by the motel-owner's eulogy of his motel's 'grand, five-star accommodations'. "Don't get your hopes up, Sokka." She warned. "The price _does _seem too good to be true."

"Lighten up Katara." said Toph, nonchalantly. "It's not like we're going to stay here for the rest of our lives. And even if the room's not as _grand_ as the owner says it is, Sokka's right, it's cheap!"

The Gaang turned the corner and came to another hallway lined with numbered rooms. Katara rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying, don't act all disappointed if the room looks like a total mess."

"Ah, here we are!" announced Sokka. "Motel room number 17! My favourite number!"

"Since when?" scoffed Aang.

"Since now!" Sokka snapped.

"Now let me just fit the key into the keyhole and…Aha!" The lock turned with a _click!_ Sokka grasped the handle. "Ladies and gentlemen," he started, opening the door ever so slightly. "I present to you, our magnificent hotel room!" He kicked the door open, arms outstretched to intake the grandeur of their cheaply rented motel room. Aang, Katara, and Toph all laughed simultaneously. _"The room looks like a total mess", _they discovered, was a complete understatement.

Sokka stood gaping at the room, unable to think, frozen in his awkward position. The room looked like it had been trashed by a platypus-bear, run-over by a rough rhino, and used as an above-ground cemetery for rotting animal carcasses. Of course, there were no dead bodies in the room, but by the smell of it, there might as well have been.

The walls were plain and bland, crumbling at the corners, the floors looked as if they haven't been cleaned in over a thousand years, there was no furniture at all save for the four bug-infested 'mattresses', and the smell of dead animals lingered heavily over the air.

"This," said Sokka, gagging "Is a problem."

"Tell me about it." Nodded Aang, who pinched his nostrils shut with his fingers. "I mean, there aren't even _windows!_" Raising his staff, he brought it down upon the floor, hoping to brush away the dust with air bending. However, the moment the staff's tip came into contact with the filth-covered flooring, instead of clearing away the dust as intended, the force of the wind sent dust flying in all directions, covering the Gaang with layers of grime.

"Thanks Aang." retorted Sokka. "We definitely wanted to be sprayed with millions of germ-infested dust particles." He tried blowing away dust from his mouth, but succeeded only in blinding himself, as the dust simply exploded in a plume of particles before falling once again upon his face.

Aang laughed awkwardly before creating another gust of wind to cleanse them of the dust. "Sorry about that…"

"I just hope we don't have to stay here long. If this is what our _rooms _look like, then I don't even want to know what condition the animal stables are in." Aang sighed. "Don't worry Appa and Momo, we'll get you out of there soon."

Sokka stretched out his arms. "Well, we should probably get comfortable. We've still got two hours until the feast."

--**Two Hours Later--**

"Seven-thousand-one-hundred and ninety-nine, seven-thousand-two hundred…" Sokka paused. "That's it! Seven-thousand and two-hundred seconds! That's two hours!"

Suddenly, the ground beneath Sokka moved and shifted sideways, causing him to topple over to the ground.

"Did you really count the entire time we've been here?" said Toph, annoyed. Sokka nodded.

"Well?" repeated Toph.

Sokka nodded again.

"Say something!" she demanded. "

What?" exclaimed Sokka. "I've been nodding the entire time!"

Toph turned towards him and waved her hand in front of her face. "Hello? Blind, remember?"

"Oh, right." said Sokka shamefully. "Sorry about that."

"Can you guys stop arguing?" interrupted Katara, who was in the middle of adjusting the position of one of her hair-loopies. "Come on, we're going to be late."


	3. Chapter 3: The Fire Lord and the Feast

**Chapter 3: The Fire Lord and The Feast**

"_Because our cooks require time to prepare, I want everyone to return here in two hours to be admitted into the Great Dining Hall." _

After his announcement, the crowd quickly dispersed. Zuko let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad that's over." He said.

Iroh walked over. "I know you don't like speeches," he started in the sage-like manner that Zuko was accustomed to. "But you're going to have to get used to it. As Fire Lord it is your duty to address the needs of your subjects."

"I know that, Uncle." Said Zuko, and together they re entered the Palace.

After a few brief words to the cooks in charge of the meals, Zuko retreated to his room. He needed some time to think. So much had happened in the past few days, and it was hard for him to get used to it so quickly.

Opening the door to his chamber, he smiled at the sight of his various decorations. There weren't a lot, but just enough to give him peace of mind and contention. The room was very large, and in the center of it was his bed, layered with several mattresses to provide maximum comfort, topped with finely designed Fire Nation covers.

Zuko sat upon the soft bed. His eyes stared down at the floor. For two hours he sat there pondering many things. Firstly, he thought about how different his life was a year ago.

A year ago, he was in his ship chasing a single person that always seemed to elude him every time he got near; The Avatar. A year ago he was a banished Prince, permanently scarred by his tyrant of a father for merely speaking out of turn. A year ago, he was lost, confused, blinded by his own views of honour.

So much had changed since then, and they have changed for the better. Sure, he made several mistakes that he would want to take back but somehow, he felt that all of those things had happened for a reason. After deserting his own Uncle, he had realized just how much he needed him. It allowed him to see the truth. His father could not give him his honour. Only _he_ himself could. He was in control of his destiny, not his father. After realizing these things he left the Fire Nation and joined the Avatar, where he discovered something he had been missing for many years: Friendship.

And now, he was the Fire Lord, the ruler of a Great Nation. He had done what he sought to do. His father was defeated and an era of peace seemed certain. He was still young, and there were still many things he needed to do.

First and foremost of these things was to find his mother, Ursa. He pictured her face in his mind. He saw her silky black hair and bright smile, looking towards him, extending her arms for a warm embrace. A tear escaped the corner of Zuko's scarred eye. It had been so long since he had seen her. He could still feel the brush of her hand upon his cheek the day before she disappeared. He could still hear the sound of her voice, telling him that everything will be alright, telling him that she'll be fine, and telling him to never lose sight of who he was. He could still hear the sounds of her light footsteps as she walked away from his room, never to be seen again.

What had happened on that night? His father mentioned during the eclipse that she had done terrible, treasonous things on the night of her disappearance. What did she do? Why did she do it? Why hasn't anyone seen her yet? There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but there was no one to answer them…Except his father. Zuko clenched his teeth. Even though his father had been defeated and stripped of his bending, Zuko still bore great hatred towards him. He could remember the sound of his voice during the Day of the Black Sun. He had talked about Ursa so lightly, as if her sacrifice meant nothing to him! That vile, heartless monster! He kicked angrily at the floor, sending flames spiralling into the air.

Zuko took several deep breaths to calm him. A plan formulated within the confines of his brain. He was going to pay his father a visit, and _make_ him tell the truth. He had to know.

A loud knocking on his door wrenched him away from his thoughts. "Zuko!" yelled the voice of his Uncle. "Come out, the guests are arriving!"

"Coming Uncle!" he shouted back, his voice wavering slightly.

Zuko waited behind the large double-doors of the Fire Nation Palace with his procession of palace guards, advisors, sages, and his uncle, the retired-General Iroh. The guests had arrived and as the host, he had to make sure that they were welcomed and seen to their seats. He had dressed in the finest apparel that he could find; a crimson, gold-trimmed robe bearing the Fire Nation insignia upon the back. At his side, he bore his classic dual swords in case a troublesome situation arose, however he was not worried, at least not for his own safety.

Zuko stood steadily, though slightly nervous at the thought of having to speak with many people whom he did not know. Outside the doors he could hear small segments of conversation.

"They're here." He announced.

"You know, milord," started one of the palace guards closest to him. "You do not have to do this. You can just sit at back and let us guards handle these greetings."

"No." said Zuko firmly. "I do not want to be like the other arrogant nobles, neglecting their guests. I'm fine, don't worry."

The guard nodded and backed away.

"Besides," Zuko added. "Mai's coming. I want to be here to welcome her."

The guard replied with a quick "Yes milord!"

Zuko motioned for the guards to open the doors. "Here goes nothing." He said with a chuckle. A strong hand landed on his shoulder. It was Iroh.

"Don't worry Prince-er _Fire Lord_ Zuko." He said tersely with a smile. "You'll do just fine!"

"I know uncle." He responded. "I guess I'm just a bit nervous."

The guard handling the doors signalled to the guards mounted at the look out tower for the courtyard to clear out so that nobody would get injured. Once the feast-goers had moved a safe distance away, the guard pulled upon the operating handle and the door swung open, revealing multitudes of guests.

"Th-this is more than I expected." Said Zuko apprehensively, eyes wide. Even his left eye, which is usually barely open due to the scarring, had widened more than usual.

"Seems like word got out about your little party!" said Iroh, chuckling.

Slowly, the crowd of fancily dressed feast-goers advanced toward the doors, chattering loudly along the way. As they entered, Zuko greeted them, shook their hands, and engaged in minute conversations with nearly everybody. Most of the time, all he would say was "Welcome!" Or "I'm glad you made it!" As more and more people passed, he was able to catch glimpses of people he had seen during the time of the war, such as the Earth King and his Bear, Haru, and the Kyoshi Warriors (Without the face paint and uniform) along with Ty Lee, who was being swarmed by hopeful-looking guys.

Suddenly, a familiar voice called to him. "Hey handsome!" said the person he had been waiting for.

Zuko turned. It was Mai, dressed in an elegant red and black dress along with a silky, Venetian-red cloak draped over her shoulder. She was smiling, and her usual impassive and gloomy personality was hardly noticeable.

"Wow." remarked Zuko. "You look beautiful Mai!"

"Why, thank you." She replied, beaming. Zuko embraced her and they kissed.

"Come on." He said, taking her arm. "All of the guests have arrived, and we should probably get back t-"

"Wait up!" shouted another familiar voice from across the enclosure.

Zuko and Mai craned their necks around and caught sight of the four members of Team Avatar making a mad dash across the courtyard, with Appa and Momo close behind. Zuko waited for them. Coming to a stop, Sokka raised a weary arm. "Sorry we're late." He said, panting. "We took a little too much time preparing."

"We!?" said Katara shrilly. "_You're _the one who took a long time preparing! Who takes thirty minutes just to prepare their hair!?"

Zuko eyed Sokka, confused. "What do you mean?" he inquired. "It doesn't look like he did anything to it."

Sokka gasped, offended. "How dare you!" He pointed at the bun on top of his head. "Can't you see? I _combed i_t!"

"You should get a hairstyle like mine!" said Aang, pointing at his bald head. "You don't have to comb it or anything!"

"I'll pass." Replied Sokka dejectedly.

They followed Zuko into the Fire Nation palace. Aang had only been there twice before. The first was during the Day of the Black Sun, and the second was during Zuko's coronation. Both visits were brief and didn't give him enough time to marvel at the beauty and grandeur that was the Fire Nation palace.

Everywhere he looked there was at least one thing that caught his attention, be it an expertly crafted monument of a past Fire Nation hero, a painting depicting dragons in flight, or a newly washed marble floor. All of these things made him wonder how a tyrant could have ever lived here.

"Aang!" called Katara. "Hurry up!"

Aang stopped. While he was busy gaping at the various wonders of the Palace, he had detached from the group. Taking one last glance at the dragon painting, he hurried back.

"I'm glad you like the palace." said Zuko, looking amused. "You know that dragon painting that you were staring at? It was painted by the greatest Fire Nation artist of all time, Maki."

Aang beamed. "I know Maki!" he exclaimed. "I mean, I don't know him _personally_ but while I was with the monks, Gyatso told me that all of the paintings we had there were created by that Maki guy! I wonder what happened to him…"

Zuko sighed, looking very crestfallen. "Maki the Painter was murdered about a millennia ago by another artist jealous of his skills. Or so the stories say."

"That's so sad." said Katara.

Zuko nodded.

They finally came to the Great Hall, where the guests were already seated. Zuko motioned for the others to follow him, and he led them up to the head of the table, as they were honoured guests. Zuko and Mai sat next to each other, facing the people. Aang sat at his right, the place of highest honour. Across from him sat Katara and next to her, Toph. Sokka was seated next to both Aang and Suki, eyeing the food hungrily.

"Sokka!" whispered Katara. "Shut your mouth! You're drooling!"

Suki laughed as Sokka mopped up the drool with his handkerchief. "You laugh now," he said warningly. "But wait until you go _months_ without a proper meal. You'd be doing the same thing!" Suki raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Have you forgotten that I've spent nearly a month eating nothing but prison food?" Sokka looked dumbfounded. He was about to reply when Zuko stood up.

Calling everyone's attention, the young Fire Lord gave them a brief speech as to why they were there. He also noted that he was going to make the day an official Fire Nation holiday, to which he received great applause.

"Today shall be known as International Peace Day!" he said amidst the cheers, before sitting down.

"A new holiday!" said Katara, squealing.

Zuko nodded. "It's a holiday to commemorate the End of the War and to honour _all _of our contributions."

"Good idea!" mumbled Aang, who was in the middle of gobbling up a rice cake. The young Avatar swallowed the rest of the cake, washing it down with some water.

Sokka nudged the boy. "Hey Aang!" he said, lifting an orange. "What is it Sokka?" asked the Avatar, interested. "Orange you glad we defeated the Fire Lord!" He grinned, but no one laughed. "You know," he started. "You guys have no sense of humour at all!" He then proceeded to stuff his face with all sorts of food.

"We have a sense of humour alright." Said Katara, sneering. "You just tell bad jokes." At this, everyone laughed. "Ha Ha, very funny." murmured Sokka.

The remainder of the feast went by quickly. Many jokes were passed around, and an unimaginable amount of food was consumed. By the end of it all, nearly everyone felt as if they were several pounds heavier. Zuko, after hearing their tale of the horrendously unclean motel room they had been give, offered a room in the palace for the night, to which the Gaang gladly accepted.


	4. Chapter 4: The Dragon and the Hawk

**Chapter 4: The Dragon and the Hawk**

The feast was now over and Team Avatar, thoroughly stuffed, decided to retreat to the room assigned to them by Zuko. A servant had come along to escort them.

"This way!" said the servant, motioning for them to follow.

He led them across several torch-lit hallways, down dark corridors filled with statues of old Fire Lords, and through large dim rooms containing many ancient paintings. One particular painting of a dragon caught Aang's eye, but there was no time to examine it as the servant continued his quick pace. Through another set of hallways he led them, before finally stopping at a door bearing the symbols of the Four Nations.

"Fire Lord Zuko apologizes if the room does not satisfy you." The servant started nervously."This room had once belonged to Avatar Roku."

Aang's eyes widened at this piece of information. The servant continued. "Fire Lord Sozin had the Four Symbols etched on the door as a tribute to his friend after he had left. Of course, the room hasn't been slept in for over a hundred years but you may find that it is still quite comfortable. Fire Lord Zuko had the interior of the room expanded and completely rearranged especially for you and your friends."

The servant bowed. "I must leave you know." He said. "There are other duties that I must attend to."

"Thank you for your kindness." Aang said, bowing in return. "Please tell Zuko that he has our thanks as well for his hospitality."

"I shall relay the message to him at once." The servant replied, smiling before scurrying away, the sound of his footsteps slowly fading away.

"I can't believe we are about to sleep in a room that belonged to Avatar Roku!" Exclaimed Aang excitedly once the servant was out of ear-shot.

"I wonder why it's so deep within the Palace." Sokka pondered as they opened the door.

Upon entering, Sokka's jaw dropped while Katara squealed with delight.

"It's so _beautiful!_" she said cheerfully.

Aang surveyed the chamber. The room had a cosy feeling. There wasn't a lot of furniture: a table here, a couple of chairs there, but he didn't mind. The room was spacious and allowed for plenty of walking space. At the center of the room were four beds, side by side. There would have been five, but Suki decided to spend the night with the other Kyoshi Warriors, much to Sokka's disappointment. "It's just one night." She had said.

There were no windows in the room, but drapes and Fire Nation signs still covered the walls. The room itself was dimly lit by several flickering candles placed on top of long poles and positioned at the four corners of the room. A lone, smaller candle was situated upon the single table. Katara flitted about, revelling in the room's beauty, making small comments on every piece of furniture she came into contact with. "Look at these drapes! How about these candles! Don't these beds look comfortable?"

"Yes Katara, the beds are absolutely _stunning_." Said Sokka, rather annoyed. "Now can you please calm down?"

"What's _your _problem?" she snapped.

"I don't have a problem." replied Sokka pointedly. "I'm just saying you should stop acting like a little child and sit down. It's just a room."

"Is _wittle_ Sokka sad because his beloved Suki won't stay in the same room with him?" she teased.

"No!" said Sokka, retaliating quite quickly.

"Are you sure?" inquired Katara who continued to tease him.

"No- I mean, Yes- I mean…" Sokka appeared to be caught in between the two replies, before pointing at the last mattress. "Bed, Now!"

Katara began to argue, "What? You can tell me what to d-"

"I said bed, _woman_!" repeated Sokka with a raised voice, clearly opposed to continuing the argument.

"Can you guys just shut up!" yelled Toph, who had already claimed one of the four beds. "I'm tired of your constant yapping and bickering! I want to go to sleep!"

"Oh yeah?" Sokka started, advancing towards her. "Well I'm tired of your-"before Sokka was able to complete his sentence, the ground beneath him exploded in a shower of powdered marble and granite. Sokka was thrown several feet away, screaming as he landed on the hard floor. A large pointed stone protruded from the place where he had just been standing.

Sokka looked up dazed. "What'd you do that f-"He was once again prevented from completing his sentence as a small round stone came flying out of nowhere to strike him on the forehead.

"Go to sleep!" Toph roared.

"Yes ma'am."

"Where's twinkle-toes?" Toph demanded.

"I have no idea…" Katara replied. "I think I saw him leave the room a few minutes ago. I wonder where he ran off to…"

"No need to wonder!" said Aang, appearing at the doorway. "I was just exploring the Palace a little. You remember that room with all the fancy paintings? There was this one picture of a dragon in flight which looked oddly familiar. As if I had seen it before..."

"Maybe it was Ran or Shao." said Katara. "You know the dragons you and Zuko met when you learned the Dancing Dragon technique?"

Aang shook his head. "I know who they are, Katara. But it's not them. Ran and Shao were red and blue dragons. The dragon in the painting was _black_."

"Maybe it's not even important." Sokka said, finally sitting up off the floor. "You said the dragons were still around during your time with the monks. Maybe you saw that dragon on one of your trips to the other Nations."

Aang shook his head once more. "I _did _see dragons, but none of them were black. The ones I've seen were brightly coloured. This dragon just seemed _evil. _It had red eyes and sharp pointy fangs. Also, the dragons I've seen were long and windy. This one didn't look like that at all. It had broader legs, like a giant flying iguana!"

"Maybe what you saw was just a really big Iguana Bird!" shouted Sokka.

"No, I don't think so." said Aang.

Katara sat up and looked towards her brother. "Besides," she started. "That painting is over a thousand years old. There's no way Aang could have seen whatever was in that painting."

Sokka shot up from the ground into an immediate standing position. Aang knew that he had an idea. "I know how you recognised the dragon!" Sokka said, excitedly.

"How?" Aang asked.

"You must have seen it in a past life, as a previous Avatar!" exclaimed Sokka, looking very pleased with himself.

"Wow Sokka," said Aang, lying down on the bed farthest from Katara. "You continue to impress me with your intelligence."

Sokka grinned widely. His gloomy mood from before had now vanished. Walking towards the vacant bed next to Aang he plopped himself down upon it, breathing a sigh of satisfaction at the sudden comfort of the mattress. "This beats lying on the cold, hard floor any day." Sokka said contentedly.

"Yeah…" Katara said, yawning. "All this talk about evil flying reptiles is making me feel woozy. We should probably get some sleep. Who knows what manner of surprises tomorrow has in store for us?"

Aang nodded, they bade each other good night and eventually, all of them fell into deep dreamless slumbers.

**++++++  
**After the feast, Zuko and Mai left the Great Hall and retreated to the patio overlooking the Fire Nation capital. There they stood together, watching the star-filled sky.  
**  
**"Don't the stars look beautiful, Mai?" Zuko asked her girlfriend. Mai looked up towards the sky. "Yeah…" She breathed. "There's so many of them."

Zuko nodded. "It makes me wonder…Could there be possibly other people out there doing the same things we're doing?"

Mai smiled. "Maybe, but I doubt any of them are as good looking as we are."

Zuko laughed. He loved how Mai's usual gloominess disappears when they're together. He liked to see her joke around. He liked to see her smile. He liked the way she made him feel. Pulling her close, he looked her in the eyes, watching her golden irises twinkle under the starlight. He pulled her closer. They were now mere centimetres away from each other. Eyes closed, they're lips finally came together in a long, passionate kiss beneath the moon.

**++++++  
**_The lone messenger hawk soared through the starry skies, weaving in and out of the clouds. It had been sent to deliver a very urgent message to the Fire Lord and could not afford to fail. Not now. Diving, the bird dipped out of the cumulus. The dormant volcano in which the Fire Nation Capital had been built on was now in sight. Just as the messenger hawk approached the giant crater, a shadow swerved behind him to block his path. It was an eagle. The hawk shrieked and spun away but the eagle followed. _

_Something wasn't right in the veteran messenger hawk's small mind. In all of his deliveries to the Capital, he had never, not even once, encountered an eagle, for they were native to other parts. This wasn't a normal attack. _

_Spinning to the left, the hawk successfully dodged the charging eagle which bulleted past. Swiftly, the hawk then executed a nose dive to increase its velocity. A shriek from behind warned him that the eagle had began to pursue him again. Pulling in his wings, the hawk continued to descend before pulling sharply out of the dive to avoid crashing. The pursuing eagle was persistent, imitating the hawk's move. Cawing, the hawk used its increased speed to race back to the clouds in hopes of losing its predator._

_After cutting through several nimbuses, the hawk finally stopped. The eagle was gone. Or so he thought. The moment the hawk let down its guard, the larger eagle burst from the cloud above, sinking its claws into the hawk's crimson wings. The bird cried out in pain. _

_Screeching victoriously, the eagle shook the toiling bird in its grasp. However, as it did so, the message contained within the hawk's delivery sack slipped out tumbled back to Earth, unnoticed by the Eagle, who was intent on returning its prey to its master. The hawk watched as the message it was trusted to deliver plummeted through the skies. With one last squawk, the defeated messenger bird gave up its struggle and fell into the void. _


	5. Chapter 5: The Figure in the Cloak

**Chapter 5: The Figure in the Cloak**

**Hello everyone! It's been a few days since my last update. I've been pretty busy but I managed to get a chapter done. Sorry for the slow pace! And I have a question: Would you rather the next chapters be longer so I could fit more things in and move the plot forward more or would you prefer quicker updates with a slower pace in each chapter? **

Aang woke to the sound of a loud rapping on the door. Glancing around, he noticed that the rest of the Team was still asleep. Toph, whose feet were no longer placed on the ground, was snoring noisily.

'_Who could possibly be up this late?_' Wondered Aang, yawning.

With a groan, he pushed himself off of the bed and made towards the door. Whoever was behind it must have heard him approaching, because the knocking abruptly sopped. Aang placed an eye over the small peephole, but found the front of the doorway empty.

'_How odd…'_ he thought.

He was just about to return to his bed when his ears picked up a small whispering from beyond the door. _'Someone's there!'_ thought Aang, his senses now alert.

Curious, he tiptoed closer to the door and placed an ear lightly upon it. The whispering continued. At first the words spoken were inaudible, but Aang was able to catch pieces of several words contained within the stranger's hastily spoken sentences. Aang's eyes widened. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? Had the stranger uttered the words '_follow me'_?

Looking through the peephole once more, Aang craned his neck to look out of it from different angles. Finally, at an angle that allowed him to see the far right of the corridor, Aang caught a glimpse of a dark shape. The figure was hooded and cloaked and from the leanness of the figure, Aang could guess that it was a woman. A shiver rose through his body. The figure must have sensed that it was being watched because the next moment, she turned and stared right at the tiny peephole. Aang's body quivered fearfully as their eyes met. The stranger had a fair face with flowing black hair, like that of a beautiful woman. However, she was oddly pale, and wore a blank expression. Her body movements as she stepped towards the door were awkward because rather than moving fluidly like a human, she moved stiffly, like a walking tree or a puppet being controlled by a puppeteer. From this distance, Aang could see that the woman had golden irises, but something about them unnerved the young Airbender_._ The stranger's yellow pupils weren't round like a normal human's. Instead they were elliptical, like a snake's.

'_Come…_' the stranger hissed, softly. Its voice was persuasive, and Aang felt himself being drawn towards it as if he were hypnotised. He took a step forward, landing upon a small twig that had somehow found its way into the room. The twig broke with a _crack_, snapping Aang out of his hypnotised state.

Aang shook his head, stumbling backwards onto the floor.

'_Come…' _the stranger repeated. Something in the tone of its voice gave Aang the impression that it was getting upset.

"No…" Aang said fearfully, pushing away from the door with his hands. There was something supernatural about this…_Thing. _

'_Come!'_ the stranger was now obviously angry. It took a step forward. The door handle began shaking. It was trying to get inside.

"No!"Aang threw up his arms, shielding his eyes from the stranger's hypnotic glare

Hissing one last time, the stranger turned and fled into the shadows.

"Aang?" asked a voice from behind him.

The boy spun around. It was Katara, his yell had woken her as well as Sokka and Toph.

"What's with all the screaming?" Toph demanded.

"Aang, are you alright?" Katara asked. He could see concern in her light, blue eyes. "I heard you scream…"

"G-guys, there's someone out there!" He sputtered, pointing at the door.

"It was probably a rat or something." Sokka moaned sleepily.

"Believe me, there was someone out there!" Aang replied, desperately.

"Just tell us what happened." said Katara firmly.

Aang nodded and recounted the events of the past few moments to them as accurately as he could; starting from the rapping at the door, to the stranger's sudden retreat. He placed a large emphasis upon the stranger's appearance and hypnotic gaze.

"So," Sokka started, walking towards him. Aang could already sense the scepticism in his voice.  
"You're trying to tell us that _you_ saw a freaky snake-like woman with piercing gold eyes and the power to hypnotize people, outside our door?"

"Yeah…?" said Aang, sheepishly. The story _did _sound a little ridiculous but it was true, there was no way he could have imagined it.

Sokka nodded. "I see..." He continued. "That must mean that my suspicions were correct!"

"What suspicions?" Aang asked, clueless.

Sokka leaped towards Aang and pointed at his chest. "You've been _brainwashed!_"

"What? I wasn't brainwashed!" Aang argued, slapping his forehead.

"Sokka." Toph said, sitting up from her bed. Sokka looked back at her. "_Shut up_. Aang wasn't brainwashed."

Aang gave a silent thank-you at these words.

Toph continued. "Whatever this thing was, it clearly got twinkle-toes over here spooked. I say we go out and search for it!"

"What!? We can't go looking for that _thing_!" Aang protested.

"Sure we can!" replied Toph brightly. "There are four of us and there's only one of that thing. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can take it."

"Well, if you say so…" mumbled Aang uneasily.

"C'mon then!" shouted Toph, sprinting away. "I think I can feel it!"

Aang hastily followed her out the door and into the hallway. Sokka and Katara glanced at each other before following suit as well.

"Which way did she go!?" asked Toph, without stopping.

"Um…" Aang searched his memories. "To the right!" he said. "I think that's where she went."

Toph closed her eyes as she ran, feeling the vibrations in that direction. There were several rooms, all empty. A couple beetles scurried across the floor. She extended her seismic sense further. Two sets of feet walking along a perpendicular hallway. They were too large to be a woman's. '_Probably the guards on night watch'._ She guessed. Extending her senses even further, she could feel some faint movement straight ahead.

"Follow me!" she whispered back at them as they approached an intersection of hallways. "Just keep going straight, there's nothing in those hallways!"

The Gaang's feet padded softly on the marble floor as they streaked past the rows and rows of doors.

Toph focused her seismic sense directly on the hallway before them. Someone was walking. From the vibrations made by the figure's feet, Toph quickly deduced that it was a girl.

"I think we found her!" said Toph.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka looked at each other with uncertainty before increasing their speed.

"She's straight ahead on the hallway to the left!" shouted Toph, excitedly. Then, she frowned. "Wait…These footsteps seem familiar…"

"What do you mean?" asked Aang, not slowing down. They were coming to the end of the hall.

"I don't know…" said Toph, unsure.

They turned left and immediately collided with a woman wearing royal fire nation robes.  
Aang raised his staff and pointed it at the fallen figure, who slapped it away angrily. It was Mai.

"What do you think you're _doing_!?" she demanded angrily. She looked up and saw Aang. "Oh, it's you…"

Aang stepped back. "I-I'm sorry!" he apologized, frantically. "I thought you were someone else…."

Mai raised a dark eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Aang was about to retell his story when Toph grabbed his arm. "Guys!" she shouted. "There's someone in our room! I can feel it!"

"Wh-what? My dumplings are in there!" said Sokka, jumping in, clutching the handle of his walking stick. After a healing session with Katara, his leg had regained most of its strength.

"Forget the dumplings!" bellowed Toph. "We need to go! Whoever's in our room is leaving!"

The Gaang ran back the way they came. Mai simply sighed and walked away towards her quarters. "Whatever, I'm going to bed."

Slowing to a stop, they finally reached the room. The door had been left open. Aang was cautious to look inside, taking light steps towards the chamber. Toph pushed him in. "There's no one in there." She said, sighing.

Sokka limped inside, quickly checking his bag. The dumplings were still there. "Phew." He said, relieved. "These were the best dumplings I've ever tasted!"

Katara slapped him on the head glowering.

"Sokka!" she yelled. "Our room just got broken into and all you could think about is food!?"

Aang stepped forward towards his bed, ignoring the commotion the others were making. There was a card on it. He picked it up and turned it over. The card was coloured pitch-black and there were two great snake-like eyes etched onto it, staring up at him with vicious contempt. In between them was a symbol of a great lizard with large fan-like wings. It looked a lot like the dragon in the painting. Beneath it were words, engraved with crimson letters. **"The end is nigh'"** it read. The hairs on the back of Aang's neck prickled. _What could it mean?_

Glancing behind him, he saw that the others were still arguing. Swiftly, he stuffed the card into his shirt before any of them noticed. He didn't want them to see the grim message. They had just one a war. They had just begun an era of peace. He didn't want anything to bring down their spirits. Not now.

"Did you find something?" inquired Sokka, walking over.

Aang jumped away startled. "N-no!" he stammered. "Why would I find something? Silly Sokka! I didn't find anything, nothing at all!" Aang gave a nervous smile and flushed. He knew that his reaction wasn't in the very least believable, but instead of questioning him, Sokka merely shrugged and went to his bed, as did Katara and Toph, who made sure to place a foot firmly on the ground, in case someone decided to pay them another late-night visit.

Aang laid his head down upon his soft, feathery pillow. He lay there for several minutes staring up at the roof before lapsing into a deep sleep filled with nightmares of giant flying lizards and mysterious people in cloaks.


	6. Chapter 6: The Gaang Departs

**Chapter 6: The Gaang Departs**

Aang woke up to an empty room.

'_Where is everybody?'_ he thought.

Sitting up, he glanced around the room, which was completely clean. All three of the vacant beds were tidied and the large jutted rock that Toph had bended out of the ground the night before was no longer there.

Aang made to stand up when a scrunching sound at the foot of his bed caught his attention. Peering over his legs he glimpsed a parchment. Picking it up, he tore off the protective seal and unravelled it. On it was a brief note, from Katara.

It said:

_Gone to buy provisions. Meet us at the marketplace.  
-Katara_

In the bottom right corner of the paper was another note, scrawled in messier handwriting. It was from Sokka. Aang had some trouble deciphering the hand-writing but managed to get it done.

_Hey Aang! Do you mind going to the cooks' and getting me some dumplings? I like the ones with shrimp in it! Okay? See you later. __**Remember,**_ **Shrimp.**

-_Sokka_

Aang scratched his bald head.

'_Gone to buy provisions?'_ He wondered, repeating the words from the note. _'Why would we need provisions?'_

And then he remembered. The night before the feast, the Gaang discussed their plans once the Coronation was over. Katara, and Sokka had decided to return to the Southern Water Tribe (Suki wanted to come along), while Toph made up her mind to pay a visit to her parents, whom she hasn't had contact with for months. They had decided to leave early so that they could avoid attention.

Aang agreed to drop them off at their respective destinations, though he had yet to decide what _he _was going to do. He wanted to join Katara, Sokka, and Suki but there were many duties that he was entitled to which prevented him from doing so.

Folding up the paper, he stuffed it into his shirt and stood up. After tidying his own bed, Aang grabbed his staff and walked out the door. His first stop was to get Sokka some dumplings.

The moment he got through the door however, he paused. Where were the cooks located? How does he even _get _there? Aang was so busy after the feast examining the many artefacts of the Fire Nation Palace, that he had not paid attention to the servant's directions on how to get to and from their room. He slapped his forehead. This was already starting out to be a terrible morning.

**:.:**

Katara examined the vegetables laid out in front of her by the merchant. Her hand was cupped around her chin while she concentrated. What vegetables should they bring with them?

"What's this vegetable called?" Katara asked the merchant, pointing at a round, lumpy object.

The merchant walked over and made a sour face.

"Are you being serious?" she asked, suspiciously.

Katara nodded.

"Well m'dear, that right there is a _potato_. Ever heard of those before?"

Katara shook her head. "I'm sorry if I sounded clueless." She apologized, with a shy chuckle. "I'm just more used to the plants and vegetables found in the South Pole."

At this, the merchant eyed her with fascination. "You're a _waterbender_!" she concluded, with a hint of awe. "You must be friends with the Avatar! You were the one who defeated Princess Azula! Amazing…"

"That's me." replied Katara with glee. Even though she tried hard to be modest, she couldn't help but be pleased with the fact that even though she defeated their Princess, she was still being treated like a celebrity in the Fire Nation.

Picking out a bushel of oak leaf lettuce, a bag of potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables, Katara paid the merchant and proceeded back to the store where Sokka and Toph browsed. Katara groaned when she saw the shop's sign. It was a painting of crossed blades placed in front of a suit of armour. The sign of a weapons store.

"Why is it that every time we go shopping, _you _have to look for a new weapon?" asked Katara once she had found her brother, gaping at a finely crafted steel flamberge.

Sokka looked at the ground, suddenly downcast. "During Sozin's Comet, I lost my space sword." He admitted.

Katara's eyes widened. "That's why you didn't have it with you when we regrouped!"

Sokka nodded. "And you know what else?" Sokka sniffed, and Katara shook her head. "I lost…_Boomerang!_"

"Oh, Sokka…" she said, with sympathy. Because her brother was a non-bender, she knew that his only weapons of battle were his boomerang and sword. She guessed that he was once again thinking that he was useless to the group, though the group itself constantly reminded him otherwise.

"I've got an idea!" She said.

Sokka looked up at her with beady eyes.

"Why don't we look for your sword and boomerang at the Wulong Forest on our way to the South Pole? I'm sure Aang would take us!"

"That's a great idea!" Sokka exclaimed, embracing his sister, suddenly feeling giddy once more. Excitement welled up within him at the thought of recovering both his sword and boomerang.

Katara laughed at her brother's sudden display of joy, before pushing him off her. "That's enough Sokka." She stated curtly. "Now, where's Toph?"

"Over here!" a muffled voice shouted from behind a rack of weaponry.

After a moment, Toph emerged around the rack clutching a small brown sack filled with small, round objects, causing it to sag.

"I decided to buy something that may come useful in the future." She said happily, answering them before they had a chance to ask the eminent question.

"Well? What is it?" asked Sokka, still goggling at the bag.

Toph removed the rope tying the bag shut and reached into it, clutching one of the objects and pulling it out. It was a small, round, metal ball that was a dull grey in colour. Its surface was covered by markings and was rough due to the size and placement variations on the metal. Some parts were raised, whereas others were deep, perhaps due to a complicated mechanism contained within.

"It's an element ball!" Toph exclaimed, grinning widely.

"An element what-now?" asked Katara, puzzled.

"It's an element ball." Toph repeated. "The merchant told me that it was a new product that was just released today, and will be sold _only_ in his shop. They each contain compressed amounts of a specific element that is released once you smash it on the ground! The merchant's descriptions of these things sounded pretty nifty so I sorta bought the entire stock…" Her last few words barely came out in an audible whisper.

"You bought the entire _what_!?" spouted Sokka. A vein throbbed madly on his forehead.

"I said I bought the entire _stock_. Weren't you listening?" Toph replied, ignoring his outburst.

"Sokka, calm down." said Katara, putting a hand upon her brother's shoulder. Turning to Toph, she asked, "How much did these things cost? What do we have left?"

Toph laughed nervously. "Funny story." She started. "You see, these things are new, so they wouldn't be cheap…"

"Just get to the point!" retorted Sokka.

"Okay! We're broke." Toph admitted. Sensing the outburst that was to come from Sokka, she plugged her ears.

**:.:**

"We apologize, Avatar Aang." stammered the Head Cook. "We ran out of dumplings last night. They were high in demand, you know."

Aang bowed to him regardless. "That's okay." He said. "I'm sure my friend will understand. Thank you for your time."

With that, Aang left the servery and, clutching his staff, he headed out of the Fire Nation Palace, bidding Zuko farewell as he passed by. Crossing the courtyard, Aang made towards the marketplace, which was just across from him.

Still several yards away, he could already see the large bulk of Appa, saddled and ready for takeoff. Toph, Katara, and Sokka, who was still fuming hotly—awaited him on the ground.

"Sorry I'm late!" he apologized hastily.

"Actually, you're just on time." Sokka said, reading over the schedule he had prepared for them. "Did you manage to get my dumplings?" He asked.

Aang shook his head, explaining that the cooks were all out of stock, to which Sokka groaned.

"Now we're broke _and _hungry!" He complained.

"Hungry and broke?" Aang started, however Toph cut him off.

"It's a long story." She said.

"You guys ready?" Katara asked, after a moment of silence.

Aang nodded, and so did Toph. Sokka however, barely lifted his head more than a few millimetres.

They then climbed onto Appa and prepared for take-off. However, just as Aang was about to instruct Appa to fly, a piercing voice cried out in the distance. "Wait for me!" it said.

Sokka looked over Appa's saddle and saw Suki, running quickly towards them in her traditional Kyoshi Warrior costume and makeup.

"Suki!" He exclaimed, suddenly joyful.

Once she had reached the bison, Suki clambered on, hugging Sokka before sitting down next to him.

"Sorry I'm late." She said. "It took a while for me to put on all of this makeup."

Aang nodded before snapping the reigns, yelling "Yip-yip!"

Appa took a few steps, lurching forward before leaving the ground. Soon enough, the Fire Nation Capital shrunk behind them as they increased their distance.

"So, where are we going first?" Aang asked Sokka, after a few moments of silent flight.

Sokka peered down his schedule and grinned. "First, we're going to find my space sword!"

"Alright then!" said Aang, turning the reigns. "To the Wulong forest we go!"


	7. Chapter 7: Boomerang, Sword, and Boy

_**Chapter 7: Boomerang, Sword, and Boy**_

Sokka stretched his sleeveless arms wide as he lay with his back slouched against the side of Appa's saddle, allowing the wind to flow through his nut-brown locks which were no longer held up in the traditional Fire Nation bun. Beside him, Suki snoozed silently, resting her head on his shoulder.

Peeking over the saddle, Sokka groaned. There below them was the ocean, a seemingly endless blue which continued to stretch on for miles and miles past the horizon. They've only been flying for a couple hours, but because of his fierce and almost desperate anticipation of being rejoined with his uniquely crafted space-sword, time seemed to be, well, taking its time; One minute became two, one hour became four, and two hours became twenty.

Sokka was just about to buckle down and catch some rest when a loud suctioning noise that sounded much like a wounded animal snapped him awake once more. The rest of Team Avatar was fast asleep. He did not need to look at them to know that. Their snores already told him as much, though he would have preferred it if Toph didn't wheeze as loud as she did. Ever so often she would snore, and none of her snores would ever sound the same. One moment it's a low, vibrating rumble, and the next it's a blaring blast of air which reminded him of the polar Walruses back home, except louder. Much louder.

Sokka knew that because everyone was too busy sleeping, no one would notice his uneasiness. So, to pass time, he resorted to watching the clouds as they passed by, flinching occasionally at some of the sounds Toph made. She must be really tired, he thought, and sighed.

After another half hour of muted flying, Sokka craned his neck once more to see how far they've progressed. His eyes widened slightly and a wide toothy grin branched across his face as he caught a glimpse of a thin line of natural pillars lining the clear blue horizon.

As they flew closer, a vast expanse of green became visible at the foot of these large, stone behemoths, which dwarfed everything in the surrounding area. Though small-looking from a distance, Sokka knew first-hand that these giant pillars were…Giant. So giant were they that even a metal-coated Fire Nation airship plummeting at full speed failed to topple them upon impact.

While his bright, blue eyes took in the colossal brilliance of the land below, he caught a sight of something that made him gasp.

A scar. A black scar. A portion of the forest was blackened, burned a week ago during the arrival of the Comet, now standing as a testament to how devastating raw, uncontrolled power can be. Sokka struggled to make certain that none of the tears that seemed to be forming escaped his eyes.

Though the others were asleep, he still wanted to maintain his self-proclaimed reputation as the tough and cool one of the group and in order to destroy all evidence, he took out the handkerchief he so handily kept inside his Water Tribe shirt and dabbed away at his eyes.

Though it was a painful sight, the blackened wood was but a mere blemish compared to the immense size of the rest of the forest, which expanded onwards until it hit the sea, many miles away. Sokka marvelled at the sight, for he did not get to do so during the airship battle. There could be no doubting it, this was the Wulong Forest, the site that signalled the end of a century-long war.

Excited, Sokka sat up quickly, causing Suki's head--which rested softly upon his shoulder, to collide painfully with the wooden edge of Appa's saddle, waking her up.

"Ow!" She said, clutching the side of her temple. "Sokka!"

"Whoops!" Sokka apologized, cradling her head. "Sorry about that."

Suki grumbled in response.

"On another note," Sokka said, cheerily. "We've arrived at the Wulong Forest!"This news managed to get her to look outside of the saddle, her eyes widening as she did so, mimicking Sokka's earlier reaction.

Sokka's proclamation also woke the other members of Team Avatar that had fallen asleep, including Aang, which surprised Sokka, causing him to wonder how Appa was able to fly to the Forest unguided.

"It's about time!" said Toph, clutching the side of the saddle with her arm. The other was wrapped around her belly, a sign that she was feeling nauseous. She paused, taking time to spew out the contents of her stomach onto the sea, many feet below. "I hate not knowing where we are!" she finished.

Aang drew back. If she were going to throw up again, he wanted to make sure he wasn't there to be on the receiving end of it.

"What's wrong, Toph?" asked Katara, worried. "I thought you would have gotten used to flying on Appa by now."Toph shook her head, sending her dark bangs flying in all directions. "I don't think it's A-" she drew her hand to her mouth, eyes wide. A moment later, she once again vomited over the side of the saddle. This time, the vomit struck Appa, who roared. "I don't think it's because of Appa." she said sickly. "It must have been some of the food from yesterday…" "Some of that food did seem a bit undercooked." agreed Sokka. "Especially that bork-u-pine meat! Ugh! It was all green, and icky, and-"

"We _get _it, Sokka." said Suki, rolling her eyes.

"Whether it was because of Appa or not," Aang started, pointing outside of the saddle. "We're about to land." The gang followed the direction of Aang's finger and we're amazed. What was once a vast expanse of water was now replaced with a similarly large expanse of trees.

Sokka broke out of his mesmerised state, and tapped Aang on the shoulder. "My sword didn't land in the trees." He paused, thinking. "Atleast, I think it didn't."

Aang looked at him. "Well, where do you think it landed?" He asked.

"When I threw it, I threw it while we were still over the water. So it _must_ be either on the shore or in the-" He gulped, before finishing. "Ocean."

"How about boomerang? You haven't told us where boomerang might have landed." Toph pointed out.

"Now _boomerang _is a different story! It's light, so it probably land somewhere on the shore or forest."Aang nodded. "Okay then, I guess the connecting point for all of this is the shore, so that's where we'll start."Appa roared as Aang turned the reigns, sending flocks of birds throughout the forest screeching into the air. In less than a minute, they had landed on the sandy shores of the Wulong.

**:.:**

"F-Fire Lord Zuko?" Asked his consultant, the Fire Sage called Shi.

"What is it, Shi?" Zuko asked softly. His eyes were closed as he sat upon the fiery throne of the Fire Nation. It was his first time sitting upon the throne and he was relishing every moment of it, even though it did not show on his face.

"I-I was just wondering whether you were asleep or not, sir. D-Did I disturb you?" the white-bearded man stuttered.

"No, you did not, Shi." Zuko replied struggling to maintain his gentle mask of impassiveness. In truth, he wanted to smile. The man's stuttering was a recurring joke among the staff members in the Palace. At first, he did not know why it was so hilarious, but he knew now.

"I-I ap-pologize anyways, s-sir." Shi replied.

This time, Zuko could not help but smile. "Don't worry about it too much." He said, finally opening his eyes.

"So, have you any plans for the future, my lord?" his counsellor asked interestedly.

Zuko thought back to his earlier plan of visiting his father. "Yes." He said, firmly. "I have _one_."

**:.:**

Appa landed softly on the beach before the Wulong Forest, and the Gaang dismounted. Aang looked around at the surrounding ocean and trees. He'd been here just last week but the place still seemed a mystery to him.

"So, this is the Wulong, huh?" said Katara, looking at the tall, sturdy trees up ahead. "Is this where you had your battle?" she asked, turning to Aang.

Aang shook his head, and pointed at one of the many tall towering structures of earth, some of which were chipped off halfway to the top as a result of the battle between him and ex-Fire Lord Ozai. "_That's_ where we fought." He said firmly. The images of the fight were still clear in his mind. He shivered, remembering the many times he thought he was going to die.

A silent _wow_ escaped the water bender's lips as he told her this, which caused Aang to smile.

"Okay Katara," said Sokka, carrying his travelling pack. "Now that you've finished gaping at the oh-so fascinating trees, maybe now we can start looking for my sword-""And boomerang!" cut in Toph, feeling a bit better.

"And boomerang." Sokka repeated, with a hint of annoyance.

"Okay." said Katara with a nod.

"Okay, good." Sokka said, returning the nod. "We'll have to split up into two groups to cover more ground. Because you two can waterbend," he motioned with his head at Katara and Aang. "You guys can search the beach and maybe some of the ocean, if you can." Aang nodded and replied with a quick "Got it!"Sokka continued. "Suki, Toph, and I will cover the forest. We'll meet back here in two hours." He looked at Suki, who smiled at him, a way of saying that she understood. Toph however, merely yawned.

"Whatever." she said absent-mindedly. "I'm fine both ways."

"Alright. **Remember.** Meet back at this spot in two hours." He reminded them, and with that, They took off; Aang and Katara towards the water; Sokka, Suki and Toph, into the forest.


End file.
